Cedar Rapids Man To Serve 21 Years For Drug Trafficking

A Cedar Rapids man with two previous drugtrafficking convictions under different names was sentenced Monday in federal court to more than 21 years in prison.

Gregory Givens, 29, was found guilty by a jury in May to one count of possession of ammunition by a felon and one count of possession of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute.

According to evidence at trial, Givens was stopped by a Cedar Rapids police officer for a traffic violation Oct. 7, 2010. During the stop, officers smelled marijuana and then recovered a large quantity of marijuana and a box of 9mm ammunition from inside the car. Givens provided a false name to officers and lied about his criminal history. Later, investigators found out Givens had been convicted twice in 2002 under two different names, of felony possession of cocaine with intent to deliver in Cook County, Ill.

According to evidence at trial, officers also executed a search warrant at an apartment where Givens was staying in December 2010. As officers entered a bedroom, they found Givens with his hand in between the mattress and the headboard. During the search, they found a large quantity of marijuana inside the mattress and crack cocaine on the floor. Givens again provided a different false name to officers when he was arrested. Givens’ identity on all of his convictions and arrests was confirmed through fingerprint analysis.

Givens previously pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana with intent to deliver in state court for the marijuana found on Oct. 7, and Dec. 22, 2010.

During his trial, Givens refused to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court, refused to participate in his trial, and refused to be in the courtroom. At sentencing, Givens was removed from the courtroom for being disruptive.

Givens must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after his prison term.